Often in cold and wet climates, debris such as snow, ice, mud, water, slush, gravel, dirt, and road grime collect on the bottom of vehicles. When these vehicles are parked into a garage or other similar structure, this debris accumulates onto the floor of these structures. Especially as ice and slush melt into liquid form, debris drops from the vehicle and spreads out into the surrounds of the structure. This accumulating debris that is not contained under the vehicle and is dispersed across the floor of the garage or other similar structure may then be carried or tracked into the structure or vehicle on the footwear of people or the feet of animals traveling through or within the structure.
Typically, this debris is physically removed by using a broom, squeegee or pressure washer. This removal can be time consuming and can exacerbate the spread of debris across areas that are desired to be kept clean or that are otherwise not impacted with debris. If the flooring surface is uneven, the movement of debris into unwanted areas is facilitated even further.
To combat this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,248 discloses a barrier device for isolating an area of a parking space within in a garage. This barrier system includes a flat bottom for attachment to a surface with a hollow interior and orifices that allow for the flow of water to flush the isolated area of debris. This flat bottom can provide for a cumbersome install and these orifices additionally allow for the flow of debris into the interior of the device when positive pressure is not applied.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,670 discloses a large pad for placement underneath a vehicle. This pad can then be rinsed to remove the debris. This configuration has many disadvantages, including its size, its inability to be customized to a given space, its propensity to develop holes which leak liquid debris, the necessity for separate storage space during non-winter months to avoid mold and mildew accumulation under the tray, and the necessity to remove the tray from within the space to adequately clear the debris that accumulates under this tray. Therefore, there is a need for an improved barrier system to trap and segregate debris for easy removal. Preferably, this barrier system is easily installed, provides for customization, and is height adjustable.